On 2013-02-04 11:55, Cammo wrote:"I definitely wouldn't start a tiki band, if money is an issue."

The Buzz makes a great point. I've always wondered what the thinking is behind the Tiki bands. It takes a huge and I mean HUGE amount of practice time, organizing, buying instruments, and even gas to get to all of your gigs. Some of the bands are smart (Martini Kings) and do it on a shoestring and make decent dough by playing a LOT of shows.

What's up with the other groups? What's the goal? It seems like they're losing money every time they play. This music will never be popular enough to sell past the breaking point online either, you can't dance to it and even music nerds barely acknowledge Exotica's existence.

Don't get me wrong; I love Exotica and wish it well, but I just read David Byrne's How Music Works and there simply ain't any cash in the game anymore.

You are exactly right. Why do we do it? The love of the music. In many cases, we get paid very little, but that money (at least for me) is to pay for the gas, and to bribe the wife....you see, to be allowed to leave the family every week and go play for other people, I better come home with something in my pockets to justify it!
_________________http://soundcloud.com/lucas-vigor/sets/set-3/

On 2013-02-04 10:03, VeroTiki wrote:OK--I'm going right to the source of ALL of the Tiki knowledge, experience and passion--you all on TC. I have a question that I hope you can answer. If you could earn a full time living from Tiki, whatever form that takes, what would you do? Any ideas? Thanks in advance!!

Some 'tiki' bands do very well. Not enough to solely sustain a living on, but a good supplementary income.
And if we didn't play for the love of it, then maybe we're playing music for the wrong reason anyway.
_________________Spike
www.facebook.com/thehulagirls
www.thehulagirlsmusic.com

My dream job would be travel from Tiki bar to Tiki bar working as a "drunk mystery shopper". Of course I'd have to built up a better alcohol tolerance - my one-drink-maximum wouldn't get me very far _________________May we all get to have a chance to ride the fast one
Walk away wiser when we crashed one
Keep hoping that the best one is the last one

Interesting how the replies run the gamut from a straight-forward answer to offering advice on the pursuit of work endeavors and ruminations on the motivations behind what some of us here do already...

I suppose my answer is: I'll stick with making tiki art... I sort of make a part-time living at it already, so I'm half-way there!

Yeah, I guess that's my answer, since my other idea - buying motel and totally tikifying it, complete with a bar/restaurant and gallery - involves me winning the lottery first, which would make the earning a living part irrelevant.

I've already got the museum thing planned out. I'll let you know if Im hiring. I have a masters in museum studies and the only way to actually make any money working in a museum is to own a traveling exhibit or to be one of the big wigs.http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=21353&forum=1

I make about 1/2 my income from tiki art, but i've been doing it for 25 yrs.
_________________ etsy.com/sophistatiki. Everything from my newest line- Castaway Cravats to prints of my Tiki Magazine Cover.

A theme park similar to Disneyland. This is for adults though. Most "rides" are actually tiki bars. The "rides" with the shortest lines would usually be something along the lines of the Hall of Presidents. The olde timey bus that totes you from end to end of the park because you can't walk any more would be very popular.
There would be regional tiki areas that would make you feel like you were in the Mai Kai, Kahiki or Bali Hai or some such. AND Parrot Head Land where all the Corona drinkers, country music fans and Dead Heads flock to. You'd probably make the most money there! Then there are the South Pacific Islands that would require "jungle cruise" type rides with sharks and headhunters.
I think I've got something here...
_________________

On 2013-02-05 21:04, Mr. NoNaMe wrote: A theme park similar to Disneyland. This is for adults though. Most "rides" are actually tiki bars. The "rides" with the shortest lines would usually be something along the lines of the Hall of Presidents. The olde timey bus that totes you from end to end of the park because you can't walk any more would be very popular.
There would be regional tiki areas that would make you feel like you were in the Mai Kai, Kahiki or Bali Hai or some such. AND Parrot Head Land where all the Corona drinkers, country music fans and Dead Heads flock to. You'd probably make the most money there! Then there are the South Pacific Islands that would require "jungle cruise" type rides with sharks and headhunters.
I think I've got something here...

On 2013-02-05 21:04, Mr. NoNaMe wrote: ...The olde timey bus that totes you from end to end of the park because you can't walk any more would be very popular.

Replace that old-timey bus with personal reclining lounge chairs on wheels, pushed around by tiki dancer girls with grass skirts and coconut bras (or neither, since you said the place was "for adults," ha...) and I think you've got yourself a deal. Sounds like the makings of a fun tiki event if not a full theme park. We need Bill Gates to sponsor it though -- I think he might need some wild fun and might be willing to spring the $$$ for us all!